Rosedawn Ramblings

It's the London Marathon this weekend and I think I'm suffering from a few pre-race nerves... I've been lethargic all week; struggling with a sore throat and bad cough; I couldn't get to sleep last with plans for Sunday running though my head; I was up early again this morning checking the weather forecast and trying to decide what to wear on race day.. lots to do, lots to plan before I catch the train down to London on Saturday afternoon. And I'm just spectating! I'm excited - it's a special race and a fantastic experience. Greenwich, Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, The Embankment...  finally reaching Buckingham Palace and turning on to the Mall. London Marathon Cards by Rosedawn Designs I love to talk to anyone who will listen about my experiences in 2014... tears, hugs, sunburn and celebratory prosecco; it was the most memorable of race days and I hope one day to get another chance to run. London Marathon support from my nieces ...

When I signed up for the Queen Elizabeth Park Half Marathon at the start of the year, one of the small goals I set myself in my quest to find my next big challenge, I didn’t really know what to expect of the race or my running. I’ve run in the Olympic Park previously – finishing on the track in the O lympic Stadium after a 5 mile race back in 2013 – and we’ve visited many times since our first visit back in 2012 for the Olympics and Paralympics. Every time we come some feature from 2012 has moved or changed and new buildings spring up all the time, but the Stadium and Orbit still dominate the skyline. But I couldn’t quite work out how the organisers were going to fit half marathon distance into the park with the number of runners taking part. And then I saw the route map and I had even less idea how it was all going to work out. But it was going to be an adventure… Strava Map In terms of my running, I’ve been keeping up with my running plan since the start of the year – lon...

The London Marathon... An iconic sporting event broadcast all over the world. Something I've watched but now would take part in for the first time, my second marathon. My first one in Manchester couldn't have gone much better... perfect conditions, a negative split, amazing support. That's a lot to live up to. Setting out for the start... thanks to Potters Trotters Liz for my send off If this were any other race, I would probably write about my disappointing result, my goal of 4 hours disintegrating in a few moments just after half way, the first race where I've had to walk for long periods because I just couldn't run anymore. I might write about what went wrong in great detail - probably a combination of the sunburn, heat, residual tiredness and problems with hydration and refuelling - and ponder on why running 9 minute miles felt so tough almost from mile 1. I could show you graphs of my km split times getting slower and slower. But this wasn't any...